The New Architecture Wing, Tshwane University of Technology

Architect: Crafford & Crafford Architects

Pretoria

By nature of its purpose, buildings housing Architectural learning sites inherently pose questions to the designer that necessitates a different level of thinking in terms of sensitivity towards education. The TUT New Architecture Wing provides a simple, positive solution to sustainable building. Foregoing expensive ‘greening’ gimmicks, the two wings that make up the campus are long and thin, thereby maximising passive heating and cooling of the internal spaces. Further low-tech ideas such as trombe walls which become the lungs of the building add to further ventilation. Additionally the landscape around the structure was designed to create a cool micro-climate.